Joe Simitian

AMID THE 900 BILLS before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one that is sure to save lives. It's a ban on text messaging and e-mailing while driving, which he enthusiastically signed. As of July 1, it became illegal to use hand-held cell phones while driving, thanks to the passage of a bill by state Sen. Joe Simitian. D-Palo Alto.

The effort to discourage California motorists from using mobile devices in moving cars took another step forward Thursday when the state Senate passed a bill to outlaw adults from text messaging while driving. This is the second of a one-two punch by Palo Alto Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian, the man behind a law that went into effect in July making it illegal to hold a cell phone to your ear while behind the wheel.

... In vetoing SB 908, the governor put principle ahead of the facts. He made a political statement and ignored the details of the bill.

In Silicon Valley's famous "trees vs. solar panels" battle, the trees have won. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law Tuesday that guarantees if California property owners plant a tree before a neighbor installs solar panels on their roof, then the neighbor can't require the tree to be cut or trimmed, even if it grows to cast shade on the panels. State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, wrote the bill in response to a Sunnyvale case that made national news and threatened to touch off statewide backyard battles as residential solar power installations grow in popularity.

Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) kicked off his eighth annual “There Oughta Be A Law” contest today. The contest invites Californians to submit ideas for state legislation.

Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian’s legislation (SB 31) to outlaw “skimming,” the covert reading of personal information stored on RFID-enabled ID cards, was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill makes it a crime to surreptitiously read information stored on tiny electronic devices known as RFID tags.

Palo Alto – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed his Senate Bill 1400, which provides greater protection for the elderly and vulnerable against deceptive sweepstakes solicitations. Simitian’s measure is the first such effort in the past 10 years.

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